Balance is all about the distribution of weight and counterweight. Anyone who has ever been in a canoe is familiar with this concept.
In graphic design, balance is obtained by arranging elements in a manner that will equally distribute the visual “weight.” Darks are offset by light, larger sized elements are counterweighted by smaller ones, etc. Balance prevents an overwhelming appearance in art. When a piece of art is balanced, the viewer doesn’t notice the elements used as individual lines, shapes, colors, but sees one seemless work.
In sports, when one team receives a disproportionate number of penalties or fouls, the fans begin to notice the referees. However, if the calls are more even, the crowd barely notices the referees. Balance prevents a lopsided feeling, which can be very uncomfortable. Those with physical balance disorders report feelings of dizziness, the fear of falling, “wooziness,” visual blurring, and a general feeling of disorientation. When our lives are off balance, we also feel uncomfortable, desperate, overwhelmed.
The key to balance as we consider our goals for the coming year is counterweight. We’re not supposed to attempt to balance our lives alone; it’s impossible. In order for a scale to be balanced, something has to be placed on both sides. Just like the teeter-totter from the grade school playground–it takes two to balance. If one jumps off, the other comes crashing down. If we attempt to balance our lives alone, we will crash.
When our lives are off balance, it is often because our spiritual equilibrium is out of synch. In other words, will is not aligned with God’s. Paul refers to this in Romans 8:6, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Life and peace–isn’t that the real goal?
For years, I thought my life’s imbalance was due to poor time management or poor organizational skills. I bought book after book on similar subjects, hoping to find “the answer.” What I finally realized is that I had a PRIORITY problem. I made wrong choices. Every choice we make stems from our priorities. And our priorities stem from our values, which are the very foundation of our lives.
The Lord asked the hungry children of Israel, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread? And your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2a). They had a priority problem. Practically speaking, maintaining balance is achieved through setting priorities, by making right choices.
First off, as we make daily choices, we need to consider what matters the most to us. If our goal is to stop smoking, which is more important, a cigarette or good health? Do I want another piece of cake, or do I want to maintain the weight I’ve worked so hard to attain? And, ultimately, all these choices go back to the WHY we just talked about–WHY do I want to be healthy? WHY do I want to lose weight? What is the driving force that will enable me to go beyond the struggles I’ll encounter along the way toward my goal?
Remember that focal point we discussed, the RESULT of attaining our goals? Is our desire for that end result strong enough to push us beyond the point of pain to achieve it? Let’s face it, weight loss is HARD work. It’s painful. Choices are tough. Stopping smoking is also hard. Becoming debt-free requires much sacrifice and changes in habits. Our values and priorities lay our foundation of balance, but the day-to-day choices we make are the counterweight; they maintain that balance.
Each day we’re faced with lots of choices–oatmeal, eggs; long sleeves, short sleeves; serve God, don’t serve God; work toward our goals, don’t work toward our goals. Some choices are small. Some can change our lives.
Once we determine what is REALLY important to us, something that aligns with our innate values, that goal will become the driving force behind our priorities, our day-to-day choices.
I hope you have a blessed day!
Bible Reading Schedule for Today: Genesis chapters 6-9
